Rowley: PP gov't lacks credibility and confidence

Keith Rowley claimed on Tuesday that the people of Trinidad and Tobago don't trust the new People's Partnership Government. The opposition leader added that the government lacks the necessary confidence needed to go forward.

“Not only did the change in Government not deliver the magical new policies but the deceitful and shameless reneging on campaign commitments has indelibly labelled the Government as questionable and untrustworthy,” Rowley stated in his reply to the budget.

“They never had any well thought out, cohesive and sensible plans and they clearly are now trying to make them up as they go along,” he claimed.

Speaking on the assistance to investors of CL Financial he said he was amused at Finance Minister Winston Dookeran’s condemnation of the regulators in the CL issue.

He said Dookeran was Central Bank Governor and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was part of the UNC Government in 2001 when then Attorney General Ramesh Maharaj raised concerns about Clico with the DPP.

The PNM took office in December 2001 and remained in office until it was voted out on May 24 this year. The Manning administration worked out the multi-billion dollar rescue package for CL in January 2009.

Rowley also criticised plans to bail out the HCU, suggesting that it would set a precedent for others to follow.

He also expressed concerns about the government's approach to employment in the Unemployment Relif Program (URP), suggesting that PNM supporters would face discrimination.

“When we are told by the Minister of Labour...he has concerns about ‘questionable employment’ within the URP and that he intends to resolve these concerns by ensuring that people who are known to be PNM and having the lion’s share are removed, we become acutely concerned,” he said.

Rowley added: “That is not what fairness and good governance is all about. Is it that the minister will go around and...deny those persons an opportunity to benefit from a social programme for which they may be qualified, only because he considers that they look like PNM?"

Rowley urged the government from discriminating against PNM supporters and warned against cutting social programs in the “impending scramble for revenues.”

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar slammed Rowley for his assertions and said no social programs are being cut. And she added that his disappointing contribution to the debate relied heavily of spreading fear and prejudice.